In Other News

MAYOR CHARLIE HALES—who stood mum as the Portland Business Alliance tried and failed to revive the city's unconstitutional sit-lie ordinance this year ["Sit-Lie Dies. Again." News, June 5]—now says he'll likely lead a similar push in Salem next year. Hales was addressing local government and criminal justice officials, gathered on Tuesday, September 10, for a monthly meeting of the Local Public Safety Coordinating Council. Hales suggested that the anti-camping and sidewalk-management rules he's struggled to implement in recent weeks aren't enough. He said any policy shifts would stem from discussions among his council colleagues and others. Hales said, "What it says, we don't know." DIRK VANDERHART

PORTLAND'S TROUBLED arts tax—seemingly on course for an extensive makeover this fall—won't change at all. Mayor Charlie Hales' office has announced the tax will stay at just $35 a year. In part because the tax was raising less than anticipated, and also because the tax's flat rate is regressive, Portland City Council over the summer pondered several changes—including asking better-paid Portlanders to pony up more money. But commissioners couldn't settle on a plan, so Hales sided with Commissioner Dan Saltzman, who argued any changes would first need to go back before voters. And everyone on council could agree on not doing that. DENIS C. THERIAULT

THE CAMPING PROTEST that's been in place outside city hall for nearly two years—after being shunted back and forth between two nearby parks following a late July sweep—suffered another blow this month. Longtime organizer Mike Withey told the media he and other organizers were withdrawing their support because the effort has been "unsuccessful" and increasingly unsafe. His comments came two days after he was the victim in a scuffle with campers outside city hall and a day after he presented a six-point homelessness relief plan to city council. "We feel that our message of safe sleep has been diminished to such a degree that it is having the opposite effect on public support for our cause." DCT